Kung Fu Techniques from the Tiger and Dragon

Kung Fu Techniques from the Dragon

Kung Fu Theory

Last month I talked about the Tiger Kung Fu Techniques. If you read that martial arts article closely you probably have an inkling of what I am going to say this month.

To bring you up to speed let me open with this brief recap from the Tiger Kung Fu article…

The Tiger and the Dragon have become the symbol of good Shaolin Kung Fu.

New books on Kenpo Karate. Over 150 techniques scientifically analyzed.

The tiger is a kung fu animal that deals with Force. To make his techniques work the Tiger will usually charge forwards. He is interested only in delivering force with his kung fu techniques.

On the other hand, the Dragon is a sly fellow who is not interested in bashing forearms, breaking bones, or otherwise delivering destruction while placing himself in the path of destruction.

This is the crux of the matter.

The Tiger wishes to deliver a Force and isn’t always careful about recieving a Force.

The Dragon, on the other hand, wishes to deliver a Force while not receiving any force himself.

Do you see how much smarter he is? Do you see what an advantage it is to do your fighting without getting hit?

Intelligence can come with age. Looking at politicians does tend to refiute this, but in the Martial Arts it tends to be a truth.

Simply, experience, especially that experience tempered on the real world of the kung fu training hall, does breed wisdom.

One learns what works.

So the Dragon, through bruises and contuses, learns to step aside while doing his punching and hitting and such.

But also, if the Martial Art the person is studying has any depth, the person learns, through the study of the correct kung fu technique, how to become wise.

As I said last month, good kung fu techniques will teach one how to handle Force, and then move into Flow.

Which brings us to the subject of the Dragon techniques in The Perfect Art.

In Shaolin Kung Fu the Dragon must grow out of the Tiger.

For this to happen the blocks must proceed from hard to soft. The collapsation of distance must occur and the student must be willing to move in and learn not to rely on just hard blocks, but to use soft blocks.

The Inward Middle Block of Tiger Kung Fu goes out from the Tan Tien.

The same block, done in Dragon Kung Fu, involves the body moving towards the opponent while the hand moves back.

Thus, the kung fu techniques don’t rely on forcing, but develop into flowing.

Guide, instead of break.

And the Inward Middle Block has become a ‘Brush Block.’

The Brush block is done with the palms or backs of the hands, and the intent is to apply mere ounces instead of hundreds of pounds.

But if you don’t understand where it came from, and the geometric progression of the gradient techniques growin from the Inward Middle Block, chances are you won’t understand how Tiger kung fu techniques change into the techniques of the Dragon: how Hard becomes the Soft.

Kung Fu Techniques

The Kung Fu Tiger blocks hard!

Left Back Stance with a right Inward Middle Block. Pull the Attacking wrist with the left hand as you execute a right Elbow Spike to the armpit. Step forward with the left leg as you spiral the Attacker’s arm up and around to a Vertical Wrist Pin.

To understand this kung fu move, lets consider it by pieces.

In the tiger, the first move, the inward block is hard. A bash. In the Dragon, one has learned how to angle the body and align it so that all the weight goes into the forearm. Thus, it becomes effortless.

In the tiger, the second move is the elbow spike. In the Dragon the second move is a shock, and is setting up a lock or throw.

The tiger would punch after this kung fu elbow strike, but the dragon is just setting up for the throw!

In the tiger, the third move will be a simple punch to the body with the rear hand. In the dragon the kung fu technique morphs into a spiral takedown similar to an Aikido technique.

So what is happening is that the Kung Fu student first learns the hard method, so he can handle force and protect himself. He learns to fight.

The second phase of kung fu training, however, is when the student learns to translate the hard movement into a soft movement, an effortless takedown or throw.

Beyond that, there are philosophical questions.

Kung Fu Philosophy

The Kung Fu Dragon moves into an effortless flowing technique similar to Aikido.

Kung Fu Techniques such as the one i just described lead through a realm of philsophy.

The Martial Arts footwork develops to explore the points of the compass, and the various concepts of the various Arts, but it does not leave the concept of the hand motion of the Inward Middle Block.

The geometric vectors of the defense change from disagreeing to agreeing, or from contention to harmony.

It’s funny, the concept of harmony as a philosophy is not necessary, but is a contrivance of a man interested in religious implications.

Do you need to study Christianity to build a bridge? I think not. Physics are just not effected by today’s religions.

Will a better bridge be built by a Christian? Maybe. If discipline and principle play a part in developing a better character, and better character is necessary to adhering to the physics of the Universe.

But religion is not necessary to the building of a Martial Art.

In fact, the person who can strip himself of philosophy, as man understands it today, actually stands a better chance of understanding the truths of the Universe.

Bear in mind, please, that though what I have said may appear contentious, it really only ‘Opens the door,’ much as the Tiger opens the door for the Dragon. It is really only contentious if you refuse to go through the door.

Thus, Kung fu Techniques reveal a truth of the Martial Arts and of the Universe. The only way out of chaos is to march right through it.

Yes, you could run, but eventually that chaos will catch you. Some other time, some other situation, same chaos.

Chaos is not order.

The solution to chaos is to go through it, understand it, and order it.

Thus…there will be no chaos. This is a truth recognized only by the Martial Arts Dragons among us.

Meta

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WINS!

Hi Sensei Al!
Got yr Matrix karate/kicking DVDs/PDF just b4 xmas, & have been studying them for the past 2 weeks. I was v. impressed. So impressed, I want to place another order...

osu!
got it! great dvds! the pdf is awesome!
doing more business with you again after the holidays. have a great and peaceful one!
osu!

Just a quick line to say my first course came today, Matrix Karate ! I absolutely love it ! I sort of knew when I read the info on the website how good it would be and I wasn’t disappointed.Thank you Al !
Speak soon
Pete

Did Yogata first time in entirety Saturday. Quite an experience. I am going to keep using it. I did not think it was very strenuous until I got up feeling the exercise the next morning.

Matrixing is like getting dropped into the invitation-only class for black belts in my old dojo, I am learning so much more about karate than before.

I am fascinated with this notion that you invented a pa-kua form from more of a Shaolin base. You did, I assume, write a formal request for permission to the Beijing Wushu Institute, in acceptable mandarin, accompanied by a suitable sum of money neatly wrapped in a red silk envelope.
Just kidding.
bye for now and have a great Christmas.

Hi Master Al,
This Monster Newsletter #362 is a Win!
Thanks

Sir;
Classical Vs. MMA (an article) was great. You have a unique ability to encapsulate concepts and extensive ideas in a perfect summary. Just like you summarizing the entire "Shotokan Secret" book in your traditional vs classical karate writing. Can I post the Classical vs. MMA article on my site??
Robin

You were right about the MI course -- it makes a big difference in understanding, and I am learning faster than in the old monkey see monkey do dojo. It is always more fun when you discover it for yourself. Goodbye for now. Phil

Learned a lot from the MI course, and have applied that to some combination techniques from another style of karate I practice and it has helped resolve some problems I was having with those techniques.

Thank you!! :)

Hey Al
Happy thanks giving! I just wanted to tell you that today I did the Yogata and it was harder than lifting weights!!! Thanks for the new tool

I have been using your courses in my school and it is going strong. I had an MMA fighter join recently and when he finished his first class he said he was hooked. I kind of knew he started more or less to test the theories that he had heard me talk about from other students...paid for more lessons right there on the spot and gave up MMA. He was really interested when I discussed the Four Powers of the Martial Arts, he said that in all his years of training he never learned any thing about these. I used one of your expressions and said brother you are about to be enlightened. lo--I thought it fit the moment. I have ordered several of your lessons and will continue to order more from you. I teach your system in my classes and I will continue to do so. When I first started with your DVD's I had already been training for 20 years in various arts...I have decided that I am going to spread the gospel of Matrixing to as many people as I can. I am doing this because I see my students improve with such speed....

You’ll find more wins throughout the site. I’ve got over 300 pages of wins, and more come in every day. I look forward to reading your win.~ Al Case